Tuesday, August 06, 2013

Sixty eight years ago today the United States detonated an atomic bomb over the city of Hiroshima. According to Wikipedia "70,000–80,000 people, or some 30% of the population of Hiroshima were killed immediately, and another 70,000 injured. Over 90% of the doctors and 93% of the nurses in Hiroshima were killed or injured—-most had been in the downtown area which received the greatest damage." Because it took several months for some victims to die of their injuries, the ultimate death toll is estimated to have been as high as 200,000. The vast majority of those killed by the bomb were civilians (women, children, the elderly and non-combatant men).

This ought to be a national day of mourning and regret in the United States.